Clutch.



J. T. BEBCHLYN. CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 19 11.

. '1 p97 1 6 1 Patented May 19, 1914.

i mm 35 Inventor: John T. Beechlgn,

l-lis DTttorney.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COHWASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. BEECHLYN, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 17, 1911.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Serial No. 638,798.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN T. BEECHLYN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification. My invention has reference to a novel form of clutch. lVhile it is capable of general application, it is particularly useful in are lamps in which it is desirable that the lifting force that separates the electrodesbe applied substantially in line with the axis of the electrodes.

The novel features of my invention will be fully described in the specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring tothe drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the skeleton of a lamp in which my clutch is used. Fig. 2 is a side view of the clutch partly broken away and showing the same in its gripping position. Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 but shows the clutch in its released position. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig.- 3. Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of my invention and Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 and 2 indicate the top and bottom plates respectively of the lamp which are connected together by standards 3, 4:. A third plate 5 is held in position above the top plate 1 by posts 6 and 7. The upper and lower electrodes 8 and 9 are tied together by a flexible connection 10, here shown as a chain, which passes over a pulley 11, suitably supported by the plate 5. One end of the chain is attached to a weight 12 which is guided in its movement by the standards 3 and 4:. A carbon holder 13 is secured to the lower side of the weight 12 and is adapted to receive the upper electrode. The other end of the chain 10 is attached to a rod 14, the lower end of which carries an arm 14 provided at its outer end with a socket which is adapted to receive the lower electrode 9. It will be understood that the rod 14 is suitably guided in its movement so that the lower electrode 9 is maintained in alinement with the upper electrode. A pair of magnets 15 are supported from the top plate 1 and are provided with cores 16, to the lower ends of which is secured across piece 17. The movable member 18 of a dashpot which is here shown as the cylinder is secured to the cross-bar 17 while the stationary member 19 is suitably secured to a bracket 20 supported by the standard A. An upstanding arm 21 is secured to the cross-arm l7 and at its upper end is pivoted to a yoke 22 which is in turn pivoted at 23 to the post 6.

The clutch, which is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is pivoted to the yoke 22 at 24 and is supported thereby. The clutch comprises a pair of parallel bars 25 and 26 to which are secured jaws 27 and 28' respectively which face inwardly and form with the parallel bars 25 and 26 an opening through which the chain 10, by the movement of which the arc is regulated, is adapted to pass. I have shown the upper and lower parallel bars each composed of two members as shown in Fig. 4; which are rigidly secured together and to their respective jaws by a rivet or otherwise. A lifting lever 29 which is somewhat in the form of an elbow lever, is pivoted to the upper parallel bar 25 near the left end thereof at 27*, and near the corresponding end of the other parallel bar 26 at 27 The other end of the lever 29 may conveniently be formed of a ring 30 as shown in Figs. 2 to 4 which embraces the movable member and which is here represented by the chain 10. A tripping lever 31 is pivoted at 32 and 33 to the right ends of the parallel bars 25 and 26. The inner end of the tripping lever 31 is provided with a tripping ring 3A which embraces the chain 10 and is similar to the ring 30 of the ifting lever 29.

The operation of my clutch is as follows: Normally the electrodes are in engagement. When current is turned on the lamp the magnets 15 are energized, thereby lifting the cores 16 and the upstanding arm 21. The outer end of the yoke 22 is thus raised, together with the lifting lever 29 which causes a longitudinal movement of the parallel bars 25 and 26 in opposite directions, whereby the jaws 27 and 28 are made to engage and grip the chain 10. That end of the chain which is connected to the upper electrode is then lifted and electrodes 8 and 9 are separated to strike the are. At the same time the ring 34 of the tripping lever is lifted free from the plate 1. As the electrodes are consumed the clutch is permitted to descend in a well-known manner until the tripping ring 34 engages the plate 1, at which time the parallel bars 25 and 26 are made to move in the opposite direction from that in which they are moved by the lifting lever 29, and the jaws 27 and 28 are disengaged from the chain 10, whereby the electrodes are permtted to approach one another to shorten the arc, or in case the arc has been ruptured altogether, are caused to be brought into engagement.

One important feature of my novel form of clutch is that the tripping action thereof is very sensitive. In a clutch as ordinarily made the arm of the clutch between the pivot and the point of application of the lifting force must be made several times longer than the distance between the pivot and the point that grips the electrode, in order to insure the clutch gripping the electrode or electrode holder with sufficient force to prevent the electrode slipping through the clutch; also that considerable force must be applied to the lower side of such a clutch before it will release the electrode. It will be seen that in the clutch constructed in accordance with my invention, the releasing force of the clutch is increased by the ratio of the distance between the point at which the tripping lever 31 engages the platform and the pivot 33 and the distance between the pivots 32 and 33.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown a modified form of my invention in which the gripping jaws carried by the respective parallel bars are pivoted to instead of rigid with the parallel bars as previously described. In this form of my invention the parallel bars 25 and 26 are suitably curved in order to bring the pivots of the two jaws on the same horizontal line, and thus prevent any 3 tendency to produce a turning movement in the movable member connected to the electrode or electrodes. shown the member which carries the electrode or electrodes and is engaged by the gripping jaws as a rod. It will be understood that this member could be simply connected to the upper electrode or could be connected to another rod carrying the lower electrode by a chain or other flexible connection as in Fig. 1. In Figs 5 and 6 I have also shown the free ends of the lifting and tripping levers 29 and 31, in the form of a yoke instead of entirely surround- In these figures I have ing the member 10' as in the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

While I have shown my invention embodied in a focusing lamp in which the two electrodes are connected together, it will be understood that it is equally applicable to a lamp in which the arc is struck and regulated only by the movement of the upper electrode. It will also be understood that, while I have shown the lower and upper parallel bars 25, 26, as composed of two separate side members, as shown in Fig. 4, secured together by their respective jaws and suitable pins, these two side members of each parallel bar together with its jaw could be cast int-o one integral piece.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an arc lamp, a clutch comprising a pair of parallel bars each of which is provided with an inwardly facing jaw which extends across both bars and which jaws form with said bars an opening through which a movable member is adapted to pass, and means for producing a substantially parallel movement in said bars in one direction to grip said movable member and for producing movement in the opposite direction to release said member, and comprising a lever pivoted to one parallel bar near its end and near the corresponding end of the other parallel bar-,and having its free end arranged to engage a tripping member.

2. In an arc lamp, a supporting member for an electrode, a clutch for gripping and lifting said supporting member comprising a pair of parallel bars, a pair of jaws secured to the respective bars and so arranged as to form therewith an opening through which the movable member is adapted to pass, a lifting lever pivoted near one end of one of said bars and near a corresponding end of the other parallel bar, its other ends embracing the movable member and a tripping arm pivoted to the opposite ends of the bars and having its free end also embracing the movable member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this lath day of July, 1911.

JOHN T. BEECHLYN.

Witnesses JOHN A. MoMANUs, J12, Ronnn'r SI-IAND.

Copies of-this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

, WashingtomD. G. 

